Wednesday, July 17, 2013

War veterans struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are increasingly turning to alternative therapies in an effort to overcome the psychological scars left by conflict.
In the United States and Australia, PTSD is an unfolding generational catastrophe affecting an estimated 20 to 30 per cent of veterans.

And there are concerns that when the ADF pulls out of Afghanistan at the end of the year, there will be a higher number of veterans requiring treatment.
Like many others, US war veteran Jason Lebrecht struggled with anxiety, loneliness and depression.
Eventually he found the answer to his problems lay within and is one of a growing number of damaged veterans turning to meditation, in particular transcendental meditation (TM).

The technique was first perfected and successfully marketed in the 1960s by the counterculture figure, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who became famous as a guru to The Beatles.
"TM has allowed me to clean the slate, to get rid of those self doubts, to trust in myself and my abilities and remind me that I have this long list of accomplishments," Mr Lebrecht said.
Dr Sarina Grosewald is just one of a growing number of researchers who champion TM as an effective treatment for PTSD. (MORE)